Police arrest bicycle bank robber in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH - A Portsmouth man has been charged with robbing the Newburyport Five Cent Savings Bank on State Street on Friday and then fleeing on a bike, police said.

Jamie Pointer, 27, of 115 Ledgewood Drive, was charged with one count of robbery and is being held on $50,000 cash bail. Pointer is scheduled for arraignment Monday.

Police began searching the area following the 2 p.m. robbery at 254 State St. Witnesses told police they were looking for a man who changed clothes and left on a bike.

Detectives worked with bank employees to obtain photographs of the suspect that were broadcast to area police departments and media outlets.

Portsmouth Police Sgt. Aaron Goodwin and Det. Rochelle Jones recognized the pictures might be a person known to police. Officers were asked to be on the lookout for that person and anyone else possibly matching the description.

At 3 p.m., New Hampshire State Police Trooper Anthony Cattabrigga located a man on Grafton Road matching the surveillance photographs and helped detain him.